Carry On
by taitofan
Summary: There was once a time when Claire couldn't stand to look in a mirror. Then she met a thief, and things slowly began to change...


Carry On - Beginning

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for sexual situations

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

Author's note: This is a two-part story featuring Claire and Skye. This first part is from Claire's point of view, and the second will continue the story from Skye's. Please be aware that there is body dysphoria and in-the-past transphobia present here. Not a lot of the latter, but please brace yourself if that's triggering to you. There's also some not-canon familial relationships near the end, but no, this fic is not in the same universe as any of my other Harvest Moon stories.

If you have any CC, please share and I'll listen. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 12-22-14

* * *

Claire watched the mayor leave without a word. This was it. She owned this ranch—Kismet, she'd named it, because it felt like fate that she'd found it—and she could do whatever she liked with it. If she wanted to raise animals, she could. Crops? No problem. Both? The world was her oyster.

With the exception of her pets and what she could cram in a suitcase, Claire had left everything behind in the city. This was, after all, a new start. The less there was to remind her of her old life there, the better. She'd make friends here, and live self-sufficiently, and not get threatening phone calls and hateful slurs painted on her apartment door, and—

A sharp bark banished the negative thoughts from her mind. Claire looked down—tears in her bright blue eyes—to see her small, floppy eared dog gazing up at her. A few feet away, her little black cat licked his leg daintily. She hastily wiped at her eyes and forced herself to smile. No, that was behind her, and this time things would be different. They _would_.

"Alright Melt, I know, you're hungry. Let's go inside." She walked over and scooped up her cat as Melt followed behind her obediently. "You too, Lezard. Let's all go see our new house together."

* * *

In the weeks following her arrival, Claire barely had time to think of her old life. There was a lot of work to be done around the ranch, from generally cleaning it up, to gathering materials to build barns, planting crops for money, trying to meet the townsfolk…

Though she'd been very hesitant about introducing herself at first, everyone she'd met had been very kind to her, and if anyone suspected that anything was different about her, they didn't mention it. Over all, everything was going very well.

And then, a mere three weeks and two days after her arrival in Forget-Me-Not Valley, Claire met a man who complicated everything.

She'd been gathering wild grasses and bamboo shoots from around the valley for some extra money that day, and the area around Romana's mansion was her final destination for the night. It was quiet, and between the gorgeous fountain lit up by elegant lampposts and the natural moonlight, Claire felt at peace. Even the sound of the mansion doors swinging open wasn't enough to rouse her suspicions at first. But then she noticed a man slinking out and shutting the doors quietly.

She'd never seen him before, despite her prior assumption that she'd met everyone in the valley already. He looked about her age, with silver hair and bright green eyes that shone in the moonlight. He was dressed much more trendily than most of the valley's inhabitants as well—purple pants and silver cheetah print that looked much more at home in the city than the boonies. He was suspicious, sure, but Claire couldn't help but think that he was quite handsome all the same.

That had been her first mistake.

The next was staying put as he noticed her and practically strutted over.

"Hello, beautiful," he all but purred. Claire wondered if he could see her flushed face in the dark. Unfortunately, he probably could. "Walking alone at night? That's awfully risky for such a lovely maiden as yourself. Luckily, you were found by a prince of the stars and not some lowly predator."

Claire had had a boyfriend, once. She had been straight out of high school and met a very handsome man at her internship for fashion design. All they did was grunt work that had nothing to do with fashion, but she'd liked it all the same. She'd liked _him_ a lot.

Everything had gone well once they'd started dating, although she'd known he got frustrated that she hadn't wanted to get intimate. Eventually though, being blinded by infatuation, she'd decided that he would be fine knowing the truth. So the next time he'd tried to take their kissing further, she'd let him…

He hadn't been okay with it. Quite the opposite in fact. She'd sworn she wouldn't make that mistake again. She wouldn't fall in love, and she wouldn't let herself get hurt.

But just the sound of this man's voice made her body warm and her blood flow, and she hated herself for it.

Lumina ran out of the mansion before Claire could say a word—something that she silently thanked the other girl for. Lumina took one look at the man and frowned.

"You!" she yelled, pointing at the man. "You're that thief who always warns his victims ahead of time, aren't you? What are you doing? What did you take, you crook?"

Claire's eyes widened at the accusation, but the man simply sighed, sounding bored by the younger girl's questions. He glanced back at Claire, giving her a small smile before he turned to Lumina and laughed casually.

"Terribly sorry miss, but I'm a bit pressed for time. I simply _must_ get going." His flippant tone made Lumina frown deeper, and Claire finally noticed the small burlap bag the man was holding. Jewels maybe? Should she try to get it back? All thoughts about playing heroine left her mind when he took a single step towards her and gave a bow that belonged on a theatrical stage. "You may call me Skye, the Phantom Thief. I feel we may meet again, my beautiful maiden. It's in the stars."

And then he was gone, quick as a flash. Claire barely heard Lumina's shouts for him to wait, but she certainly did hear Skye tell her that anger marred her beautiful face, and she unfortunately heard Lumina gushing over what a smooth talker he was. Claire had to agree, but she didn't have to like hearing it come from Lumina.

She definitely didn't have to like herself for getting jealous when there was no way she could ever fall for anyone, let alone a thief.

* * *

"Did you hear?" Flora's voice was loud and clear in the mine where Claire was very diligently digging for treasures. She was tired, but she needed more money to build a storage shed so she could finally buy the makers. The jewelry she was finding would sell for a lot more than grass, even if it _was_ harder work. "Romana's mansion was robbed last night."

"That damn cowardly thief," Carter growled, his tone far different from Flora's. It was something Claire had noticed as she'd gone through her daily routine. The men hated the thief, while the women tended to think he was handsome. Well, Claire loathed to admit it, but Skye _was_ very attractive. Pretty, even.

She stayed out late, until her muscles ached and she longed for her bed. She threw her tools and spoils into her rucksack and headed out towards her ranch. About halfway through her trip, a familiar head of silver hair came into sight, standing on the bridge that separated Vesta's farm from the business district of town.

"Skye!" she exclaimed, immediately regretting it when he looked up and smiled. What was she doing? This couldn't end well…

"Well, if it isn't the beauty from last night? You see, I told you our next meeting was written in the stars. And I finally get to hear your voice! My, you sound as lovely as you look!"

She'd hated her voice for a long time, especially as she'd gone through puberty. She'd hated a lot about herself back then. Now she was more comfortable with it, and hearing Skye call it lovely—calling _her_ lovely—was a bit overwhelming.

"I'm not beautiful," she insisted. She'd been called so many things over the years, but beautiful was never one of them when people knew the truth. Skye, she knew, would be no different.

"You certainly _are_," he maintained, frowning at her words. He wouldn't be so sure if he knew… But Claire found herself desperately wishing that maybe, just maybe, Skye could be an exception. "…You've been hurt before, haven't you?"

'_Yes. So many times.'_

"I guess," she murmured, shrugging as casually as she could manage. She remembered all of the treasures she'd found mining, and a thought entered her mind. She gave little gifts to all the villagers, and though it might be a mistake... "Don't worry about me. Just… Here, take this."

She pulled out an old, expensive looking bracelet and held it out to him. She didn't know what he'd think about it, but the color of the beads reminded her of his eyes. Besides, part of the day's gossip revolved around the fact that Skye had only taken some spices from Romana, so maybe if he could sell it for some quick cash, he wouldn't have to steal.

"Thank you." His voice was part bewildered, part gracious. As if he'd never gotten a gift before. Perhaps he hadn't. Claire knew no more about him than he did about her. "…My maiden, I still haven't gotten your name."

"Claire," she answered simply before rushing past him, not able to stand his words or his smiles any longer. He obviously flirted with all the ladies; she was nothing special. …Even if he _had_ sounded more sincere talking to her than he had with Lumina, and even if she _did_ hear him yell good night to her as she ran.

She wouldn't let herself fall for him. She really couldn't.

* * *

She looked at herself in her full length mirror. Her eyes first focused on her face. It was very feminine, and rather pretty she supposed. Her throat… wasn't so bad anymore. You couldn't really tell unless you were looking directly at it. Her chest was quite the same. Flat, but well, that was what padding was for. The clothes she wore—overalls mostly these days—were always chosen to hide the more problematic parts of her anatomy anyway.

For example, the flesh that hung between her legs.

_That_ was the reason her mother had named her Christopher, and _that_ was the reason her father all but disowned her the day she insisted that her name was Claire. It was why her boyfriend had shoved her against the wall, calling her a sick pervert who was just pretending to be a girl to prey on straight guys. It was why she couldn't trust that Skye wouldn't do the same.

She fell to her knees and cried, no longer able to look in the mirror.

She was so tired of hating herself.

* * *

"Oh, Claire! I'm so glad you're here!"

Muffy was the type of person Claire thought she could trust. She was so sweet, and if Claire had liked girls, she thought Muffy would be the kind of woman she would fall in love with. But, be it as it was, she was at least the kind of woman Claire would see being her best friend. With a little more time living there, Claire was quite sure they would be.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked, though judging by the letter in Griffon's hand, she could hazard a guess. Though she'd seen Skye out a few more times at night since their first meeting, this was the first caper he'd be pulling since the one at Romana's mansion. Was he not selling those trinkets she was giving him…? Claire knew that _she_ was certainly getting a nice bit of money from them.

"A letter from the Phantom," Griffon confirmed, his face grim at the prospect of his bar being robbed. "_I'm going to bless your bar with my presence at midnight for a drink_. He certainly thinks highly of himself…"

"And sending this letter makes me think he's quite confident too," Muffy chimed in. She turned back to Claire and giggled. "I kind of like that in a man… What do you think Claire? I mean, you've dealt with the Phantom before. Is he as charming as Lumina says?"

"Anyway," Griffon cut in, thankfully sparing Claire the embarrassment of answering that, "he's a thief, so we gotta corner him. Think you can lend us a hand, Claire?"

"Yes, we could really use your help!"

Claire didn't know how to refuse, so she didn't. Instead, she agreed, and she was back at the bar come midnight. She quickly came to regret her decision, however, when Muffy and Griffon were lured out of the bar by the mysterious scent of curry. And moments later, who should waltz in but the Phantom Thief himself.

"Well, we meet again, my darling Claire!" He acted as if he'd expected to see her. She wouldn't be surprised if he _had_. "Fancy meeting you here. Do you suppose fate has brought us together again?"

"No more than when I saw you two days ago…" He laughed at her less than impressed tone, and she was beginning to think that maybe liking the sound of his voice wasn't such a bad thing after all. It was just flirting, right? Something he did quite regularly. It wasn't like it would lead to anything… "But maybe they _are_ all fate…"

"O-oh?" Either it was her imagination, or he was blushing at that. She was pretty sure she wasn't _that_ sleep-deprived, so… "I'm so glad to hear that from such a lovely maiden. It really makes me feel guilty for what I'm about to do, and trust me, I don't feel guilt that easily. So, if you'd kindly hold still for just a moment…"

Before she could do or say a thing, he yelled a few ridiculous words—which she refused to even _think_ of again—and she suddenly couldn't move. Normally, she would have panicked, but somehow… She felt as if she could trust him not to hurt her. It was a revelation that left her partially scared and partially relieved. She hadn't trusted a man not to hurt her in _so long_…

"Skye…"

"Don't worry," he interrupted, rushing to the cabinets and pawing through them. She saw him toss a few spices in. "It will wear off in a few minutes. Just relax."

She watched him for a while, noting that he really was only taking edible things, and not terribly expensive ones at that. It was all so baffling.

"Why are you a thief?" He laughed softly at her question.

"Oh, I don't know. Just for fun maybe? Or maybe not? I guess you'll just have to get to know me better if you really want to know." He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned. "If I just tell you everything right now, it will take all of the mystique out of our relationship. Perhaps if you can catch me, I'll tell you anything you want to know…"

She would have been tapping her foot nervously if she could actually move. There was something that she needed to know, right away. But could she trust him enough to ask it…?

…She decided that she needed to start taking a few chances if she ever wanted to be truly happy.

"Can you at least tell me one thing? Does that beam thing of yours only work on women?"

He paused at her question, and she hoped she hadn't sounded as desperate as she thought she had. But considering he fully turned to her, a small frown on his face, she thought she likely had. Maybe it was a good thing she couldn't move, or she thought she might be shaking.

"…Yes, it does. Only women fall prey to its magic. If it worked on everyone, well, I could be off robbing banks right now! But why ever are you asking such a question?"

She couldn't answer.

Skye tied off his bag and came closer to her. Her ability to move must have been coming back, because she _knew_ she shivered when he looked at her so searchingly.

"You really _have_ been hurt in the past, haven't you?" he asked softly, bringing his hand very gently to brush a lock of hair out of her face. It was the first time he'd touched her, and she swore her skin tingled from the contact. "I'll just have to make sure I never give you a reason to fear me as you do the ghosts of your past. You truly are beautiful Claire. You must believe that."

She was never more disappointed to hear Muffy and Griffon's voices than she was at that moment. Skye gave her a sad smile and said his hurried goodbyes as he fled.

Walking home that night, Claire thought that it might just be possible to believe him. Maybe Skye would be the first person to believe she was beautiful, and maybe she could someday think so too.

* * *

The beach was beautiful at night. Skye was even more so.

"You didn't really plan on stealing from Flora and Carter, did you?" He laughed, and over the two seasons she'd lived in Forget-Me-Not Valley, she'd come to love the sound.

"Now, why would you ever think that?" he asked teasingly, though they both already knew the answer. She just didn't know _why_. Maybe tonight was the night she'd find out.

"Because you only seem to steal things you can cook with."

"How observant of you, my dear!" he praised, clapping for her. She rolled her eyes, but she didn't stop herself from grinning all the same. "You're correct! I merely wished to see you."

"We see each other every few days." Every night she wasn't too tired to stay up that was. They weren't long visits, but she enjoyed them all nonetheless. "You really couldn't wait?"

"I suppose not." His eyes filled with a touch of doubt. It was an odd look on him. "…Does this upset you?"

She didn't have to think about the question. Not anymore. Not when he was slowly helping her start to love herself. Not when he was slowly helping her love _him_.

"No, it doesn't." The doubt swiftly left, replaced with a look of relief, and a touch of mischief added in.

"Excellent! Then perhaps we could… swim?" Though she knew it was just provocative teasing, her body ceased at the very thought. No, no, no. She wasn't ready for him to know yet. Not until she was absolutely sure…!

"N-no, I… I don't swim."

The pitying look he gave her was somehow worse than anything he could have said.

"Judging from that reaction, and things you've said in the past…" He paused, as if questioning if he should continue. She knew what was coming, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to or not. "You hate your body don't you?"

"I don't want to talk about that, _please_."

Lots of women hated the way they looked. She'd gone to therapy for a few years; she knew that. But not nearly as many had the same reasons as her. She honestly wasn't ready to have Skye know those reasons yet. It was too soon.

"If that is what you wish. I apologize."

He was so sincere, so understanding… Her heart swelled despite herself. Skye was very good at that.

"No," she tried to explain the best she could, "it's fine, I just—"

"No need to justify yourself," he cut in, and she knew he meant it. "I respect your boundaries. When you _are_ ready to talk, I will listen. For now, perhaps you'll listen to a thief? You wanted to know why I steal, did you not?"

Of course she did. But she remembered his terms for telling her, and getting the information just because she was sad felt like cheating.

"I haven't exactly caught you, you know."

"Oh, but my darling Claire…" He laughed softly and stepped closer to her, slowly taking her hand into his. She let him. "You've captured my heart."

Could a person die because they were so happy? It wasn't "I love you," but that would have felt too soon. This was just right.

"A-ah, I see…" She couldn't seem to say it back. She just had to hope that squeezing his hand affectionately would suffice. The warmth in his eyes told her that it did. "Well, yes, I do want to know."

Curry. He wanted to make the best curry in the world. It certainly explained why he only stole ingredients, though it didn't exactly tell her why he had to steal, rather than buy things. She supposed he really _wasn't_ selling the gifts she gave him. At least she knew what she could start giving him for new presents now.

"I have the right flavor," he continued musingly, "but it still seems to be lacking a key ingredient. I don't suppose you have any idea what that might be?"

"I guess…" Her idea sounded silly in her head, but she was quite sure she knew the reason he wasn't satisfied with his results. "You aren't cooking with love."

"Love…?" He pondered on that for a few silent moments, then he nodded. "Yes, perhaps you're right. I've been so focused on the flavor that I hadn't really thought about it. I'll have to let you try my next batch and you can tell me if I have the _love_ part down."

Cooking was as much an art as a science, her mother had once told her, many years ago. She thought Skye probably knew what she'd meant, but if he wanted to word it that way, that was fine too. Every time she saw Skye, she was getting a little less afraid at the thought of falling in love, for better or worse.

"It's getting late," Skye finally said, letting go of her hand. She missed it almost immediately. "I'd like nothing more than to walk you home, but a good girl like you shouldn't be seen with a thief like me. Good night…"

He slipped off, and all Claire could wonder was if he'd still think she was a good girl if he knew the truth.

* * *

Claire hadn't _really_ wanted to help Vesta catch Skye, but the older woman rather intimidated her, so she'd agreed. She fully planned on warning him though, because Vesta was the only one who she honestly thought would run Skye through with a pitchfork. What had he been thinking, threatening to steal Vesta's vegetables? She would have just given him some…!

She didn't get the opportunity to give any warnings though, as Vesta had insisted that the two of them hide in the same field. She couldn't really talk to him the way she normally did in front of a woman who hated him. She'd already heard rumors—told to her by Muffy who heard a lot of town gossip at the bar—that some people thought it was strange that the thief always got away when she was around. Muffy had luckily chewed everyone out who said such things, reminding them that the thieveries had started seasons before Claire moved to the valley, and that _no one_ had been able to stop him.

Claire was very happy that her best friend stood up for her, but the truth was, she really _didn't_ want to catch Skye. She was very much falling in love with him.

"I can't believe you pulled such a dangerous stunt."

…Even if he was an idiot.

"Yes, I know, it was foolish." She huffed and focused on the moonlight dancing upon Goddess Pond. She hoped the Harvest Goddess—the only one who knew her secret, as she _was_ a goddess after all—wouldn't be offended that she had her bare feet in the pond. She'd grow her extra strawberries come spring to make up for it. The chilly autumn weather wouldn't allow her to do it for too long anyway.

"I'll say. And then, saying right in front of her that I shouldn't be worried about you… You gave her ideas." Skye was being rather quite that evening, though she had no idea why. It was bothering her a little. "Not that they aren't true, but she hates you enough as it is. Giving her the same line as you did to Lumina didn't help either."

She didn't get jealous at the flirting anymore. She knew he didn't mean it—the words and tone he used were completely different than what he used around her. Though, he had said one thing the night before that had stung, though she couldn't say anything about it.

"…I've hurt you, just as I swore I wouldn't, haven't I?" Her eyes widened—_no way_. He couldn't know… Surely, he thought she took the flirtatious words he'd said to throw Celia off guard to heart…

"Huh? Skye, what do you—"

"Was it what I said to Marlin?"

Her breath hitched in her chest, and she was sure her heart stopped beating for a few moments. _No_. This wasn't… _How…?_

"_I don't want to be caught by a man! Where's the mystique in that?"_

"…Why would that upset me?"

"You tell me."

A thick silence hung in the air. Claire swore she wouldn't cry. She'd warned herself, but she hadn't listened! And now Skye—

And now Skye was hugging her and she lost the battle with her tears.

"I'm sorry, that came out completely wrong. You don't have to say anything. I was just thinking about everything you've told me since we've met, and I saw your expression when I said that. You looked pained, and I couldn't see why, unless…" He stopped and gently pushed her away until she was looking him in the eyes. "Claire, my darling Claire… Are you… No, _do you_ consider yourself to be a woman?"

She didn't answer straight away, but not because she didn't know the answer. Of course she did—she'd just never had the question worded that way before.

"Y-yes." Her voice was small and shaky. Skye gave her an encouraging smile, and it was like years of stress and doubt and self-hatred flew away. "Yes. I'm a woman. Your beam with the dumb name thinks I'm a woman, and so do I. So does everyone who matters. Because I am!"

She wanted to laugh, to shout to the heavens that she'd done it! She said it without hating herself! She'd had a major breakthrough, and it was because of a pretty thief, not a therapist.

And then Skye kissed her.

She'd been kissed before, but that had been by her old boyfriend who'd hurt her emotionally and physically after she'd told him the truth. Now here was Skye who knew and was kissing her for the first time anyway. How she loved this man!

"You aren't mad," she murmured as they parted. It wasn't a question. It didn't _have_ to be a question.

"Never," he assured her, running his fingers through her long blonde hair, kissing the ends of the strands affectionately. "I was a bit shocked at first, but I simply don't care. Claire… I love you. More than I have ever loved another in my life. I don't care what anatomy you have, so long as you are you—the most beautiful, kindest, hardest working woman I know."

She cried again, but this time she was overwhelmed with happiness. Skye loved her!

"I love you too, Skye. Oh, I love you so much…"

The next morning when she woke up was the first time in her life that she awoke and looked in the mirror without an ounce of hatred for her body. Skye loved her as she was, and she was never going to hate herself for it ever again.

* * *

It hadn't been as easy as she'd hoped it would be. Sometimes she still looked at herself and felt terrible, but then she'd remember that there was someone out there who loved her and feel better. Change wouldn't completely happen overnight, but she was getting there.

She even found the courage to tell Muffy, and was absolutely relieved to learn her best friend was just as understanding as her boyfriend was. With that secret out, she'd even told Muffy of her feelings for Skye, though she hadn't gone quite so far as to reveal that they were in a relationship. Muffy was understandably more concerned over _that_, though she reluctantly accepted that Skye was really a good person outside of thievery.

Claire wasn't jumping to tell anyone else. The Harvest Goddess, Skye, and Muffy were the only ones she thought needed to know. If the rest found out, fine. She'd deal with that as it came. For now, she was content as things were.

* * *

Rock reminded Claire far too much of her old boyfriend, so she didn't much like him. She had nothing against Nami though, so when they busted in on Ruby telling her about Skye's latest note, she was torn. On one hand, she thought Rock should shut up and go back to being a lazy useless bum, but on the other, she understood why Nami was concerned. No one knew Skye like she did.

Ruby didn't seem terribly concerned, and once Rock and Nami left, her eyes had almost twinkled.

"If you're going to warn your thief, you should get in town before everyone else tonight and throw them off."

"Ruby…?"

The woman chuckled in that good-natured way she did everything, but she wouldn't say anymore.

But Claire knew who would be the next to know if she ever wanted to tell someone else her secret.

* * *

The Blue Feather was much lighter than the rings people used to propose within the city, but as she held it out to Skye, it felt as if it weighed tons.

"It's… For me?"

"Of course it is," she muttered, wondering what had gotten into him to make him leave her a note saying he was going to steal it. "Who else would it be for but my _boyfriend_? I handed it to you. Why would you think I meant anything _but_ to propose?"

She'd even done it the night before the Stocking Festival. Now here it was, hours before dawn on the day of the festival, and he'd woken her up to actually steal the stupid thing. She was too tired for this!

"Oh…" His face would have been cute if it were at least six hours in the future.

"Don't _oh_ me," she sighed, waving her outstretched hands impatiently. "Will you marry me or not?"

"…Yes." All of his charm seemed to have disappeared, but all of her annoyance melted away as soon as he hesitantly took the feather from her. "You know, I have never doubted my love for you, but I didn't think you'd want to spend your life with someone like me."

"The thieving thing will have to stop," she warned him, and he nodded distractedly. Well, now was it. She needed to be blunt… "But really Skye, _you_ need to realize you're agreeing to marry a transwoman. Some people won't react as well as Muffy and Ruby have. The things people did and said in the city… I still have nightmares about it, and it's almost been a year since I've left. A lot of people consider me a man. I do have the body of one after all, so I can't give you a child…"

"I don't care." She was suddenly in his arms, and with as light as the fabric of her nightgown was, she could feel her chest pressed flat against his. She knew he must be able to feel it as well. "I love you Claire, and I want you to be my wife more than anything."

"What will your family think?" He pulled away and shrugged casually, and though Claire was no stranger to being estranged from her family, it still ached to think the same had happened to Skye.

"I've been disowned for _years_. And, well, last I knew, my older brother was in a serious relationship with a very male wizard, so I don't suppose he'll care much. He might even come to our wedding!"

Claire had no siblings, nor any extended family who would be willing to come to her wedding. Unless, perhaps, she was in a tuxedo and marrying a woman, but _that_ wasn't going to happen.

"That would be nice." She yawned suddenly, and shot Skye an apologetic look. "Sorry. You aren't boring, it's just really early… Would you… like to stay the night?"

He didn't hesitate to accept, nor to crawl under the covers with her and hold her close.

Sleep came easier for Claire than it had in years.

* * *

"You're Skye's fiancée…" It wasn't a question, but Claire couldn't do much more than nod. She hadn't really thought much about Skye's family, but she certainly hadn't expected his older brother to be the splitting image of a cowboy. Beside him stood a dark-skinned man who hadn't introduced himself as more than "Wizard." Skye had warned her that even _he_ didn't know the actual name of his brother's boyfriend. The Witch Princess had once told her that magical beings didn't reveal their real names to any mortals but their mates, so she wasn't surprised.

"Yes, I'm Claire," she greeted, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. This was as close to meeting in-laws as she was going to get. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

It had been a mere two weeks since Claire had proposed, and their wedding was the following day. Very few people even knew about it, and since no one was knocking down her door demanding to know why she was marrying a thief, she guessed that neither Vaughn nor the Wizard had mentioned to the locals why they were there. Of course, neither man seemed all that talkative, so it wasn't really a shock. In fact, the Wizard hadn't said a word since his introduction, preferring to stay at Vaughn's side and play silently with her cat.

"Guess I couldn't miss my little brother finally settling down. Almost thought he was sick until his letter praised you like you were a goddess or something." His smile was so faint that Claire almost didn't notice it, but the way Skye was flushed made her think that _he_ had seen it clearly. "…You seem like you'll keep him in line just fine."

"Alright, enough of this talk," Skye cut in, undoubtedly embarrassed. It wasn't an emotion Claire had witnessed him display very often. "Surely there are more important things to discuss."

Vaughn looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to Claire and smirking.

"…You want embarrassing stories about your man as a kid?"

Claire nodded enthusiastically, Skye moaning pitifully beside her.

Overall, Claire thought that she rather liked them, and she was glad they'd soon be her family as well.

* * *

It was late, and it was cold. But that didn't stop Claire from standing beside Goddess Pond in the best wedding dress she, Muffy, and Ruby could cobble together in two weeks. The two women were the only ones present to represent the bride's family, while Vaughn and the Wizard were there for Skye. Ruby had outright given Skye a black suit that Rock refused to wear, and it fit him well. As for her dress…

It was very nice despite the lack of time, simple and white and lovely. Claire had insisted that the bodice needed to be form-fitting and not hide who she was. No added padding today—Skye loved her for who she was. Her friends loved her for who she was.

_She_ loved herself for who she was.

Everyone present knew about her gender identity, and they all stood behind her. It might have been a small number, but it meant the world to her. In the city, she'd been a joke at best and a revulsion at worst. Here, she was loved and supported, and she was getting _married_… With the Harvest Goddess herself as the officiator, no less. _That_ had certainly surprised all of the wedding guests. Not to mention the groom.

"As a thief… Well, as a _former_ thief, I have my share of secrets." Skye gazed deeply into her eyes as he gave his vows, and Claire could feel her throat tighten with raw emotion. "But I promise to love you as long as I live."

"You heard the man," the Goddess cut in, grinning widely. "He's a no-good thief. So, will you promise to love him as long as you both shall live?"

Claire didn't need to think of her decision for even a moment.

"I do."

"Then, as the Harvest Goddess, I congratulate you on your marriage! I've never seen such wonderful newlyweds!" Claire didn't know if that was an exaggeration, but she didn't really care. Skye was kissing her and everyone was clapping for them, and life was as perfect as it could get. "Let me ring the bell for the occasion…"

Surely, the morning would bring questions. The villagers would wonder how the bells had rung in the middle of the night, and sooner or later, Skye would be seen living with her. But none of the concerned Claire at that moment. That would come later. Right now…

"Oh Claire… I love you more than the stars shine in the sky. Thank you so much for giving me this chance to love you forever."

"I love you too. And…" The tears were finally beginning to spill, and Skye was right there, kissing them away. "Thank you for loving me. Thank you _so much_!"

…only this moment mattered.


End file.
